“Jane” called to update me. She and her husband, after seeing several therapists and talking with former addicts, decided to tell their son to leave. She said that making this decision was the hardest thing she’d ever done. They didn’t feel safe in their home and it was breaking their hearts to see what their son was doing. They told him to leave right after Thanksgiving, and had hired a security guard to be onsite. They were scared of his reaction and possible responses.

Once he left, Jane and her husband went into the guest house where her son had been staying, and it had been “trashed” in a literal sense. There was garbage everywhere, opened cans and bottles all over the place, burns in furniture, and the carpets were ruined. She hired a cleaning service and a contractor, repaired the guest house and changed all of the locks.

Jane said that December was horrible, and the timing with the holidays increased the sadness and worry. She hears from her son now and then via text, but he won’t call at all. She understands he’s been staying with friends and worries about him.

He has been told repeatedly that when he’s ready to go for help or rehab, they’ll help him. They have done their research and have some options in mind. Their biggest fear now is that it’s too late, and one of these days they’ll learn he has died.

Do you have any experience with this or insights and comfort for this family?

One Response to “Update: “Meth Kid” Was Kicked Out of Home”

I don’t know what the circumstances of this family are today. But please relay to “Jane” that a former troubled child … illegal drug user … has no doubt in her heart that telling her son to leave was the absolute right thing to do. Once a drug like Meth is involved, there is nothing that anyone, except the user, can do to make things better. And it’s obvious from the details you related that they were enabling him to continue without as much struggle as he would face on his own. Enabling … is never a good thing.